Some reflections of this recent wonderful trip in the Kimberley, in far north Western Australia. My thoughts may not necessarily be highly ordered, maybe not always coherent but provided to share with readers the joyfulness, the grandeur and the privilege of experiencing this great wilderness, admittedly at a time when the weather is at its most benign, in relative terms at least. There is also too much to share and too little time to describe it, so I shall be succinct, hopefully. Please feel free to join the threads as your own imagination and aspirations may allow.

In any case, my reflections are in rough chronological order of experience, as we travelled the GRR from Derby to Kununurra, and returned from there to Broome via Purnululu National Park, Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing. We completed this journey in roughly two weeks.

Windjana Gorge. Our first Gorge visit. How beautiful can rock formations be? This became an abiding theme here on, so if you do not like the nature of rock formations, then this area may not be for you.

Soon we learned and most certainly honoured the mantra of these special places of nature and cultural significance. Take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but footprints.

Bells Gorge. Risk and reward, in so many of these places. Take managed risks in terms of navigating challenging terrain and you will be rewarded with many sensual experiences. To be rewarded in life, we do need to take responsibility for our health, and as we do, we can be agile, fit and strong enough to explore these places well into our retirement. But do not be fooled, if we allow our egos to supplant common sense, danger  is ever present. So be prepared, and prepare that body too.

Yes, there are many gorges, many rock pools, much challenging terrain, rocks, soaring rock formations, river beds, long and strenuous walks, hot weather, insects and potential dangers lurking for the naive or reckless. Nevertheless, these are places for the mindful, those who are not bored with life, but instead, every day seek to enjoy whatever life presents.

Adcock Gorge. Less accessible but beautiful. Good swim in rock pool.

Galvans Gorge. Very accessible and easy swim, good waterfall. Pretty.

Mannings Gorge. Very safe swimming spot by camping area but lack of time to hike to the waterfall and rock pool there. Apparently a challenging hike.

Avoid driving late afternoon when the combination of low sun, dirty windscreen and increasingly active wildlife can place a driver in unnecessary peril.

Engage the most robust vehicle you can afford. Ensure tyres are new and designed for off-road. Carry more than one spare if you can. Respect all other drivers. Avoid towing when you can. 4WD a must, low ratio option highly recommended. If you are like me, listen to those more experienced, act accordingly, and enjoy more. If you have choice, get a snorkel. If in doubt, do not cross the creeks, or wait for others, for guidance. Seek local knowledge. Leave your ego at home.

Water crossings are so much fun, when safe to do so. What a buzz crossing the mighty Pentecost River, but only in the dry season possible, and then choose low tide.

The Cockburn Ranges are so stunning but time to rename with indigenous name.

El Questro was most enjoyable and so many places to explore, enjoy and hike in this location. Yes, it can be expensive, but this area is not for the faint hearted, or those with a  budget crisis. So bring the cash, splash it about, as you will be buying life-long experiences and memories. Stunning views, challenging 4WD tracks, so many lookouts, thermal springs, El Questro Gorge, Amalia Gorge, Emma Gorge all nearby. Good services, camping, food and friendly people.

Being offline from the Internet and cellular network has its benefits, for so many of us, young and old. It is quite cleansing really. And this is the case in many of the tourist hotspots in and around the GRR and Kimberley generally. So guess what, people are compelled to talk to each other more. How redeeming.

We tourists are so fortunate. We enjoy the best weather in the dry season, without enduring the 100% humidity and isolation of the wet season. As we arrive, the roads are repaired, the salties have been trapped and moved on, and our hosts are so welcoming and passionate. Some of our hosts have been like us first, then chose to stay, as the Kimberley can ‘get in your blood’.

Thanks to those many indigenous Australians who allow us white fellas to share their lands. And so we learn about their hardships too, sadly trauma also, both past and still the present. Some communities are finding their well-being, others are not. I do wish all of them the wherewithal to find ways to rebuild their own autonomous social capital. Here’s hoping.

Nature is awesome. We as a species are just Johnny and Joanne come-latelies, when we compare geological time, how long these gorgeous rock formations have taken to take shape. How huge are the volumes of water that fall, that flow, and also are captured like in Lake Argyle. So many stars, and so huge, so far away, and so visible, in the clear night sky in our wilderness camps. To contemplate, to have the opportunity to achieve such perspective, to be better people because of it. That has been an observation of the majority of people I have met in this recent adventure. Grateful to be there, humbled in so doing, more patient and compassionate going forward. Nature nurtures.

Kununurra is an interesting town. The lookout in town and its views are stunning, although not for those with vertigo or lack of fitness, as it is a steep climb. But with 100% humidity in the wet season.  If you can, do the 55km river cruise from the Lake Argyle dam wall all the way back to Kununurra. It is spectacular.

Visit Lake Argyle. Swim in Lake Argyle, that was one of my highlights, so warm, so huge, so clean and fresh, so exhilarating.

The ironies or counter intuition. Go faster to avoid the discomfort of the corrugations. Dam a river to allow its continuous flow (the Ord River). Being hot in daylight, being cold at same place at night. Less is more wilderness and a sustainable tourist future.

Emma Gorge was special and the top rock pool was worth the hike, the swim so refreshing, the waterfall so high and majestic, and the small thermal pool there a surprise for most. Most of the Kimberley rock pools are very cool and I would suggest that is fortunate, as people do not linger, there is space for others as they arrive to have a swim too, and one is more invigorated and alert on the hike back accordingly.

Bloody cane toads. On the march through the Kimberley. A major prize for some smart elimination scheme? Of course, many years of trying already. And yes, they are affecting the equilibrium, for example, fresh water crocodile eggs not being consumed by the goannas and monitors, as they are poisoned in turn by eating the toads, so freshie numbers in the Ord are increasing.

How good are the Bungle Bungles, in Purnululu National Park? How challenging is the rough, corrugated, windy and rocky road in? Patience and concentration while driving required. Only for 4WD vehicles. The southern end with the fascinating bee-hive domes, the Cathedral Gorge and Picanniny Creek. Grandeur, the power of nature in evidence, in terms of water movement, rock compaction, soaring heights, and catastrophic falls. More of the same at the Northern end, with the amazing Echidna Gorge, its light show and narrow chasm, its hidden wonder, and the other walks to Mini Palms Gorge (tough trek but beautiful ambience among the palms, fallen and conglomerate rocks, river pebbles and more), and Homestead Gorge. Echidna is a must do, while Mini Palms so scenic but need the fitness and agility as has class 5 sections.

I guess flying around the Bungles must be awesome but I cannot advise from experience, only relay others’ joy. To see from the air would be to appreciate its breadth and depth, which can all too easily be underestimated from the ground, given it is so massive in places. We are just like ants in this landscape.

And other locations we failed to see but people rave of, include Tunnel Creek and Geikie Gorge near Fitzroy Crossing. We / you cannot see everything, became another one of our mantras. Next time maybe, like the Pilbara and the Karijini National Park to the south.

Watch out for the nasty little sand flies or midges around the various mangrove areas in the Kimberley and NT area. Many people including this one can have an allergic reaction that can result in a chronic response lasting weeks and exacerbated by scratching. Prevention is best, be aware around dawn and dusk, and full moons, and for prevention or if bitten, use combination of baby oil and dettol, among other treatments. And stop scratching, as I am trying very hard to do, else secondary infections are likely.

Say g’day to people. Ask them how they are. Ask them where they are going or where they have been. So many people so keen to share their experiences or offer advice. Conversations along the way yield many interesting facts, knowledge and guidance. It is also just fun to find out about other people, and changing plans at short notice, or being spontaneous socially, because goodwill is in abundance here. Nurturing is natural, yet all too often conditioned out of us, especially men, as we become civilised and driven in our often city-based lives. This part of the country does otherwise to people, and that is special.

So a profound ending to my current reflections. Let me think … Ok, it’s an oldie and a little peripheral perhaps literally, but figuratively it applies in how we can benefit from, or be enriched by travelling these parts … “and in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love, you make” (Lennon and McCartney, 1969).